Ogawa K et al. · 2009
The study exposed four groups of pregnant CD(SD) IGS rats to a 1.95-GHz W-CDMA signal for 90 minutes daily on gestational days 7–17, with spatial average brain SARs of 0.67 and 2.0 W/kg for low and high exposure groups. On gestational day 20, all dams were killed by cesarean section and fetuses were evaluated for numbers of live, dead, and resorbed embryos, placental weights, sex ratios, fetal weights, and external, visceral, and skeletal abnormalities. Maternal body weight gain did not differ between groups, and no adverse effects were observed on any reproductive or embryotoxic parameters.
Finnie JW, Chidlow G, Blumbergs PC, Manavis J, Cai Z · 2009
Researchers exposed pregnant mice to 900 MHz radiofrequency fields at 4 W/kg for 60 minutes daily throughout gestation. Fetal brains were examined for heat shock proteins HSP25, HSP32, and HSP70. No induction of HSP32 or HSP70 was found in any brains, and HSP25 expression was similar in exposed and control groups. The study concluded that whole-gestation exposure did not produce a stress response detectable by HSPs.
Gul A, Celebi H, Uğraş S. · 2009
Researchers exposed pregnant rats to mobile phones during pregnancy and examined ovarian follicles in their female offspring at 21 days old. The study group had fewer ovarian follicles than the control group. The authors suggest that intrauterine microwave exposure has toxic effects on ovaries.
Hässig M, Jud F, Naegeli H, Kupper J, Spiess BM. · 2009
Researchers conducted a cohort study tracking the geographical location of each dam and calf from conception through the fetal period to slaughter, with particular emphasis on the first trimester of gestation (organogenesis). Antioxidant activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase were measured in aqueous humor to evaluate redox status. Among 253 calves, 79 (32%) had nuclear cataract and 9 (3.6%) had severe nuclear cataract. Oxidative stress was increased in eyes with cataract, with an odds ratio of 0.80 per kilometer distance from the nearest base station and a 95% confidence interval of 0.62,0.93, and the authors state that it has not been shown that antennas actually affected stress.
Dimbylow PJ, Nagaoka T, Xu XG. · 2009
The study compared foetal specific absorption rate (SAR) across three sets of pregnant female computational models. The models included a 26-week foetal model from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Tokyo, and models at 13, 26, and 38 weeks from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. FDTD calculations were performed at a resolution of 2 mm for a plane wave with a vertically aligned electric field incident upon the body from the front, back and two sides from 20 MHz to 3 GHz under isolated conditions. The researchers compared external electric field values required to produce the ICNIRP public exposure localized restriction of 2 W kg(-1) when averaged over 10 g of the foetus with the ICNIRP reference levels.
Franzellitti S, Valbonesi P, Contin A, Biondi C, Fabbri E. · 2008
Researchers evaluated HSP70 gene and protein expression in human trophoblast HTR-8/SVneo cells after 4 to 24 hours of exposure to 1.8 GHz continuous-wave and GSM signals. Inducible HSP70 protein expression was not modified by any exposure condition. HSP70C transcript levels increased after 24 hours of GSM-217Hz exposure and decreased after 4 and 16 hours of GSM-Talk exposure, while HSP70A, HSP70B, and HSC70 transcripts did not change.
Rezk AY, Abdulqawi K, Mustafa RM, Abo El-Azm TM, Al-Inany H · 2008
Researchers enrolled 90 pregnant women with uncomplicated pregnancies and 30 full-term newborns for the study. Pregnant women were exposed to mobile phone electromagnetic fields in dialing mode for 10 minutes, and fetal and neonatal heart rate and cardiac output were measured. Exposure significantly increased fetal and neonatal heart rate and decreased stroke volume and cardiac output, with these changes becoming less pronounced at higher gestational ages.
Nagaoka T, Saito K, Takahashi M, Ito K, Watanabe S. · 2008
The paper outlines the development of pregnant woman models adjusted to reference physiological characteristics for gestation ages of 13, 18, and 26 weeks. The models are composed of voxels of 2 x 2 x 2 mm³ and include 56 tissue types. Basic specific absorption rate (SAR) characteristics for whole-body RF exposure were calculated using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method.
Baste V, Riise T, Moen BE. · 2008
Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study among 10,497 military men in the Royal Norwegian Navy to assess work near radiofrequency-emitting equipment, infertility, and offspring sex ratio. Infertility increased significantly with increasing self-reported exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. Adjusted odds ratios for infertility were 1.39 for low exposure, 1.52 for some exposure, 1.93 for high exposure, and 1.86 for very high exposure compared to no exposure. Higher paternal exposure was also associated with a lower ratio of boys to girls at birth. The number of children was not associated with exposure degree.
Divan HA, Kheifets L, Obel C, Olsen J · 2008
Mothers of 13,159 children completed a follow-up questionnaire reporting cell phone use during pregnancy and the child's current cell phone use. Greater odds ratios for behavioral problems were observed for children with possible prenatal or postnatal exposure to cell phone use. After adjustment for potential confounders, the odds ratio for a higher overall behavioral problems score was 1.80 (95% confidence interval = 1.45–2.23) in children with both prenatal and postnatal exposure. The authors noted that these associations may be noncausal and may be due to unmeasured confounding.
Odaci E, Bas O, Kaplan S · 2008
Researchers investigated the effects of prenatal EMF exposure on the number of granule cells in the dentate gyrus of 4-week-old rats. Pregnant rats in the exposed group were subjected to a 900 MHz EMF for 60 min/day between the first and last days of gestation. The results showed that prenatal EMF exposure caused a decrease in the number of granule cells in the dentate gyrus (P < 0.01).
Liu XY et al. · 2007
Researchers interviewed 200 women with early spontaneous abortion and age-matched controls and used multivariable logistic regression. In single-factor analysis, higher proportions of watching TV ≥10 hours/week, computer use ≥45 hours/week, using copycat, microwave oven and mobile phone, and proximity to switch rooms ≤50 m and launching towers ≤500 m were found in cases versus controls. After multivariable adjustment, using a microwave oven and mobile phone, exposure to abnormal renovation smell for ≥3 months, emotional stress in early pregnancy, and prior spontaneous abortion remained significantly associated with miscarriage risk. The odds ratios for these risk factors were 2.23 and 4.63.
Dimbylow P. · 2007
Researchers used finite-difference time-domain calculations to estimate SAR from 20 MHz to 3 GHz in hybrid voxel-mathematical models of the pregnant female. Mathematical models of the developing foetus at 8-, 13-, 26- and 38-week gestation were converted into voxels and combined with the reference adult female model, NAOMI at a resolution of 2 mm. The study calculated the electric field values needed to produce the ICNIRP public exposure restriction of 2 W kg(-1) when averaged over 10 g of the foetus.
Nagaoka T et al. · 2006
Researchers had previously developed a whole-body numerical female model of an adult Japanese non-pregnant average figure. A new fetus model including inherent tissues of pregnant women was constructed based on abdominal MRI data of a 7-month pregnant woman. A whole-body pregnant woman model was developed by combining the new fetus and the female models. The anatomical details of the developed pregnant woman model and basic SAR characteristics for whole-body exposure to RF electromagnetic fields are demonstrated.
Mjøen G et al. · 2006
Finnie JW, Cai Z, Blumbergs PC, Manavis J, Kuchel TR. · 2006
Researchers exposed pregnant mice to 900 MHz fields at 4 W/kg for 60 minutes daily from gestation day 1 to 19. Control mice were sham-exposed or freely mobile without restraint. Fetal brains were examined for c-fos expression in multiple regions using immunohistochemistry. No difference in c-fos immunoreactivity was found between exposed and control fetal brains.
Finnie JW, Blumbergs PC, Cai Z, Manavis J, Kuchel TR. · 2006
Pregnant mice were exposed to 900 MHz radiofrequency fields at 4 W/kg for 60 minutes daily from gestational day 1 to day 19. Fetal brains were examined for albumin extravasation in multiple regions including cerebral cortex, thalamus, basal ganglia, hippocampus, cerebellum, midbrain and medulla. No albumin extravasation was found in exposed or control brains, indicating no increase in vascular permeability.
Ferreira AR et al. · 2006
Researchers used the micronucleus assay to assess chromosomal damage in erythrocytes from rat offspring exposed to non-thermal UHF-EMF from a cellular phone during embryogenesis. The irradiated group showed a significant increase in micronuclei occurrence. No significant differences were found in any oxidative parameter of offspring blood and liver. The average number of pups in each litter was not significantly altered.
Ono T et al. · 2004
A possible mutagenic effect of 2.45 GHz radiofrequency exposure was examined using lacZ-transgenic MutaTM mice. Offspring were exposed in utero for 16 hours a day from embryonic day 0 to 15 and examined at 10 weeks of age. Mutation frequencies at the lacZ gene in spleen, liver, brain, and testis were similar to those in non-exposed mice. Sequencing of mutant DNAs showed no appreciable difference in mutation quality between exposed and non-exposed samples.
Celik O, Hascalik S. · 2004
The study was planned to determine the effects of electromagnetic fields from cellular phones on baseline fetal heart rate, acceleration, and deceleration. Forty pregnant women undergoing non-stress testing were enrolled. Non-stress tests were recorded while subjects held a cellular phone in standby mode and dialing mode for five minutes each, and also with no phone present for ten minutes.
Pyrpasopoulou A et al. · 2004
Researchers exposed pregnant rats to pulsed GSM-like radiofrequency radiation at 9.4 GHz and 5 microW/cm2 during early gestation. They measured bone morphogenetic protein and receptor expression in newborn kidneys using semi-quantitative duplex RT-PCR. Exposure increased BMP-4 and BMPR-IA expression and decreased BMPR-II expression, with statistical significance depending on exposure timing. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization revealed aberrant expression and localization of these molecules. The authors suggest these molecular changes do not affect renal organogenesis but may reflect a developmental delay, and that exposure timing influences effects.
Weisbrot D, Lin H, Ye L, Blank M, Goodman R. · 2003
Researchers exposed fruit flies to a discontinuous RF signal from a GSM multiband phone at 900/1,900 MHz with SAR approximately 1.4 W/kg for 10 days from egg laying through pupation. The non-thermal radiation increased offspring numbers, elevated hsp70 levels, increased SRE DNA-binding, and induced ELK-1 phosphorylation.
Nakamura H et al. · 2003
Researchers compared microwave exposure to water immersion at matched temperature rises in thirty-six pregnant rats assigned to six groups with 90-minute exposures. No significant differences in uteroplacental circulation or placental endocrine and immune functions were found between rats exposed to 0.6 mW/cm2 microwaves and those immersed at 38 °C. At 3 mW/cm2, microwaves caused significant decreases in uteroplacental blood flow and estradiol compared with rats immersed at 40 °C.
Nelson BK, Snyder DL, Shaw PB · 2001
Researchers gave pregnant rats methanol at 0, 2, or 3 g/kg on gestation day 9 or 13, combined with RF radiation on day 9 or 2ME on day 13. On day 9, RF radiation or methanol increased fetal resorptions without interaction, and resorptions were highest when treatments were separated by 1.5 hours. The higher methanol dose also reduced fetal weights. On day 13, 2ME or methanol increased malformations with a positive interaction between them, while fetal weights were reduced by each agent alone without interaction.
Cheever KL et al. · 2001
Researchers exposed pregnant rats to 10 MHz radiofrequency radiation and measured metabolism and distribution of 2-methoxyethanol and its metabolite methoxyacetic acid. Radiofrequency exposure reduced total body clearance of radiolabeled 2-methoxyethanol but did not change methoxyacetic acid levels in serum, embryos, or extraembryonic fluid. Protein adduct formation in embryos did not differ in a way that would explain the reported synergy between radiofrequency radiation and 2-methoxyethanol.
